Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
Missouri St.
Baseball Swept By Southwest Missouri 4-1 & 4-1
04/13/2002 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
April 13, 2002
Ozark, Mo. - Southwest Missouri State University's (24-5, 10-1 MVC) top-rated Missouri Valley Conference pitching staff dominated Southern Illinois University (17-14, 6-9 MVC) with 20 strikeouts in a doubleheader sweep on Saturday at Price Cutter Park. SMS won both games 4-1 and leads the series 3-0.
In game one, SIU's Ryan Welch (3-2) had a strong outing of his own with five strikeouts, no walks and seven hits in 7 2/3 innings. The freshman from Brentwood, Tenn. went the distance in the scheduled seven inning game before allowing two singles and a home run with two outs in the first extra inning to suffer the loss in the eighth inning.
SMS took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first and the Salukis tied the game on Toby Barnett's solo home run in the second inning. The game stayed tied until the first extra frame when Jeremy Isenhower hit the walk-off, three-run home run to win the game for the Bears 4-1.
SIU added six singles after Barnett's home run but couldn't score off SMS starter Brad Ziegler. Zeigler struck out ten Salukis and allowed seven hits in seven innings before shortstop Shaun Marcum (3-0) came on in the top of the eighth and picked up the win. Marcum struck out two and allowed a hit in the top of the eighth inning. The two combined to strike out 12 Salukis in eight innings.
Justin Maurath went 3-for-3 in his first start in leftfield to lead SIU. Barnett (1-for-3, HR, RBI, run), Sal Frisella (1-for-3) and Luke Nelson each added a hit in three at-bats for SIU in game one.
The Salukis jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning in game two. Cory Newman doubled to open the game and extend his hitting streak to 18 games. Newman scored two batters later on Jeff Stanek's RBI single to give SIU its first lead of the day.
SMS scored a run to tie the game on a single, two walks, a stolen base and a wild pitch in the bottom of the first inning. The Bears added three more runs in a wild fourth inning on a double, three singles, two errors a walk and a fielder's choice to go up 4-1.
Southwest Missouri starter Jeff Gray (4-0) went the full seven innings. Gray struck out eight, walked one and didn't allow a Saluki hit after the first inning to pick up the win.
Josh Joiner (1-1) started for SIU and allowed four runs, five walks, six hits and struck out one in 3 1/3 innings to suffer his first loss of the year. Marshall Tucker struck out one and allowed two hits and no runs in 2 2/3 innings of relief.
Stanek (1-for-3, RBI) and Newman (1-for-3, double, run) were the only Salukis to pick up a hit The Salukis will wrap the series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Price Cutter Park.
NOTES: Ross Kowzan did not start either game due to a sore knee after being hit by a ball he fouled off Friday. The Salukis will lose (down 0-3) their first MVC series of the year after splitting three straight series to open the season.
